


Born of Hope

by scavengerscorner (idrilhadhafang)



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Canon Compliant, Devoted Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren, F/M, Family Feels, Fluff and Angst, Force Ghost Baby, Force Ghosts, Implied Inappropriate Use of the Force, Implied Palpatine Nastiness In The Backstory, Parents Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren, Post-Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Reylo Baby, Soft Ben Solo, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Fix-It, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Spoilers, Tags Contain Spoilers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-02
Updated: 2020-01-01
Packaged: 2021-02-27 13:02:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 829
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22077385
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/idrilhadhafang/pseuds/scavengerscorner
Summary: Being a parent is hard. Being a parent when the father’s a Force ghost is even harder.
Relationships: Rey/Ben Solo
Comments: 4
Kudos: 46
Collections: TROS Fix-it Prompt Meme





	Born of Hope

**Author's Note:**

  * For [the_garbage_will_do](https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_garbage_will_do/gifts).
  * In response to a prompt by [the_garbage_will_do](https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_garbage_will_do/pseuds/the_garbage_will_do) in the [Out_of_the_Rubble](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/Out_of_the_Rubble) collection. 



> **Prompt:**
> 
> Post-TRoS: Rey dates ghost!Ben. Via magic or science of your choice they have a little Reylo baby! I'd like a happy ending (either because he comes back to life somehow or because he becomes a very physically present ghost), but you can be angsty on the way. 
> 
> If you include rape/non-con or underage, please do not have Rey, Kylo and/or Hux as the perpetrator. Also please do not write Reylo as abusive.
> 
> ————
> 
> For the_garbage_will_do. Because this was too good to resist.

”You’re afraid.”

Even as Rey sat in the bedroom that she had on Tatooine, she couldn’t deny what Ben was saying. Taking the pregnancy test and having it come back positive...she didn’t know how it was possible considering Ben wasn’t even corporeal, but apparently —

”I am,” she said, after a while. “I don’t know what kind of mother I’ll be. Ben...” A strained laugh. “I’m twenty years old! And my parents, my grandfather...how do you know I’ll be a good mother? What kind of mother will I be, Ben? And without a father...”

She paused. Somehow, the idea was terrifying. Raising their baby without a father. She’d blamed herself for Ben’s death, though Poe had assured her that it was exactly what Ben Solo, and not Kylo Ren, would have done. 

Ben smiled, a bit bitterly. “And I don’t know what kind of father I’ll be,” he said. “Considering Snoke and Palpatine were the father figures I never would have wanted had I known who they were...”

”There was no way that you could have known,” Rey said. “You were a child.”

”Still.” A beat. “Rey...whatever it takes, I have no doubt you’ll be a wonderful mother. You’re kind, and strong, and selfless. I can’t see things like the Emperor did, but I know that you aren’t him.”

He brushed a hand over her cheek. The touch of a ghost...she hadn’t expected it to be so warm. Sometimes she swore that Ben was right there with her, even if he was coming through weak. 

”I hope you’re right.”

”You had faith in me when it mattered, Rey,” Ben said. “It’s my turn now.”

***

Pregnancy had to be designed by biology to punish her. It had to be. That was all Rey could think in between the mood swings, the food cravings (it was like her hunger on Jakku got exponentially worse), and the vomiting. Ben was a saint, naturally — holding her hair while she was vomiting. Even if she mostly felt warm wind on her hair, not solid hands. 

”I hate this,” Rey said, wiping her mouth after one particular vomiting fit. 

”I can imagine.” Ben grimaced in sympathy. “Sorry I did this.”

”No,” Rey said. “I...” She sighed. “Our baby’s a gift. It’s everything else surrounding her that’s frustrating.”

”She’ll be a terror like her father,” Ben said wryly. 

Rey sighed. “Ben, you’re not being funny.” They could both feel that their baby was a girl. Rey could imagine her inheriting Ben’s rather adorable big ears, and she almost smiled. 

”My apologies,” Ben said. “I shouldn’t talk about our daughter like that. She’ll be as brave, talented and beautiful as her mother.”

”And her father,” Rey said, smiling. 

Ben shrugged. It was an endearing sort of shrug, something you didn’t expect out of the former Supreme Leader, but also sad. Like he didn’t think of himself as beautiful. Rey could take or leave generic male model faces. Ben was beautiful in a way that stood out. She knew that he hadn’t had many friends. Except Poe, of course. He’d hated torturing Poe, if only because of that. 

”She’ll be the other thing I did right,” he said. “In all I’ve done.”

Rey smiled. “She will.”

***

When she did actually give birth, Rey thought her body was on fire. The way she was actively trying to push a child, a living, breathing being, out of her body...but it was worth it when she heard the first wail of her baby, and after the nurses cleaned her up and bundled her, Rey got to hold her. To see her. Those black curls...they were Ben’s. Her blue eyes...Rey wondered if they would darken to hazel or dark brown over time. 

”Hey,” she said, softly. “It’s okay, you know.” She grinned, tears brimming in her eyes. “You’re a gift. To me and your daddy. Your daddy’s here. Even if you can’t see him.”

The baby blinked up at her. Rey wondered if she even understood a word of what Rey was saying. 

”She’s beautiful,” Ben rumbled behind Rey. “You took it like you always did, Rey. Like a warrior.”

Rey laughed. “It was worth it. Just seeing her.” She sighed. “I don’t know what to call her, though. I know that my parents apparently called me ‘Rey’ because I was the one ray of sunshine in their lives. Dad used to call me that. His ray of light.” A beat. “After everything Grandfather did to him...he deserved as much.” She had read what Palpatine had done to her father. And she’d hated Palpatine all the more for it. 

Ben smiled. “My parents fought over who got to name me. My mother won.”

Rey laughed again. “Sounds like her." A beat. “How about Mara? After my mother.”

”It’s a good name. Mara Skywalker. Or Mara Solo. Whatever name you want.” A beat. “Mara Leia Skywalker?”

”Mara Leia,” Rey said. “I like the sound of that.”


End file.
